Chief of the Prophets — Page 31
Chapter Two 31 him out of it. Abrahah was greatly impressed by the personality, charm, and esteem of ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib, so he treated him with great honour and inquired about the reason for his arrival. ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib, who probably had already thought about the dialogue, said that a few people from his army had captured his camels, and he would be grateful if he returned them. Abrahah returned the camels, but the impressions he had of ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib’s charm and esteem were gone, and he said with great amazement, “I have come to destroy your Ka‘bah and you worry about your camels?” ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib quite nonchalantly replied: I am the owner of the camels (therefore, worried about them) and the House also has an Owner who will defend it. ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib’s reply enraged Abrahah even more and he angrily said, “I will see how the Lord of that house stops me!” He moved forward with his army, but the decree of God was such that dangerous smallpox broke out in the army which destroyed most of the army. The Qur’ān mentions this event in Chapter Al-Fīl (the Elephant) in the following words: (Al-Fīl 105:2-6) Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? Did He not cause their plan to miscarry? And